moment

this photo was taken in zermatt this past summer on our cloudraker trip. it was just before our last descent of the trip. the weather was pretty much perfect and this couch was just calling our name. after so many good rides, it was fitting to be able to chill out with such a view. of course Jer could not take his helmet off, just in case he needed to make a quick escape.
the horn, a tasty cafe, a quick look over on the bikes and then it was downhill for a very, very long time.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

40 year swell hits Oahu

We surf land, they surf water. Earlier this week the North Shore of Oahu was hit by the biggest waves in years. Check this video of Mondays mega-session at Jaws.

The Brazilian

Upon retrospect we should have worked harder to keep this trail unknown. Back in 2003, on a pioneering trip in the Swiss Alps, journalist Mitchell Scott in a fit of pleasure, compared parts of this trail to that of a freshly shaved Brazilan wax job...the word got out and now we've been told that the name pops up regularly in German mountain bike chat rooms. For years we were the only mountain bike tracks and now we're seeing more riders up there. It's all good. We're mountain bikers and we love a good descent. Here's a good view of it...



Want a taste of The Brazilian yourself? Join us for the ride of your life.

Going Downhill in die Alpen on Pinkbike.com

Calgary's Stephen Matthews joined us in Switzerland this summer on our Alpenrock DH trip. See his sweet vids and read the whole story here.

Here's a little sample following Joe Schwartz.

"...i lost count of the times i was whooping loudly..."

"The three Big Mountain trips I have been on have been incredible and the best trails I have ever ridden anywhere, I lost count of the times I was whooping loudly on this one and I look forward to doing more next year, I'm already dreaming of the Swiss DH trip." Daveid Phillips, UK.
 
View photos from Daveid's recent trip to Maroc....great photos Daveid, thanks!

2010 Dirt Merchant Morocco dates have been confirmed, Sept 19-28. See you in Marrakech!

 

happy birthday joe

hmmmm...where to start? it was just another ride, or seemingly so. we met up, unloaded our bikes and got dressed and then started climbing up the mountain. it wasn't raining. it was Sunday. we climbed high this time, to an unknown fresh trail that few knew, a trail that you had to hike in off the road and where the loam roosted like a jet boat in the Florida Keys. everything felt really good and the bikes were running exceptionally well, or was it the riders? at times, we'd drop into a short downhill transition with a berm at the bottom and both wheels would drift and then traction would return, almost on demand. drift, carve. bikes where thrown around and echoes of glee resonated in the forest. falltime. great friends. Sunday. mellow vibes. thanks Joe and happy birthday buddy.

Joe, Wade and Arthur's dog, mid-ride.

Dave Norona, birthday boy, Chimonez and me.

wanna ride with Joe and Wade too? Wade's guiding our Costa Rica Pura Vida DH trips, February 19 - 27 and February 27 - March 7 2010 and Joe is guiding our Swiss Alpenrock DH trips next summer, Aug. 13 - 21 2010 and Aug. 21 - 29 2010.

last week in Peru...

A group of friends went to Peru on a private trip last week. "The trip was fantastic. The guys enjoyed a lot the trip and we have just good memories," said head guide and mountain bike shinobe Wayo with a big smile from him home in Lima. Back at the office in Whistler and Vancouver we could not be happier. Thanks for joining us guys!

By the way, you have to come ride Peru with us soon...the riding is ridiculous, the culture unforgettable and being hosted by Wayo could not get any better. All-mountain or downhill?

 

 This photo was taken on one of the many Inca trails that was built centuries ago. This one drops into the beautiful Sacred Valley.

The group at our hotel in Lima.

 Cruisin' dawg. He knows who's boss.

earlier today somewhere in Morocco...

this photo just arrived from today's ride on our Moroccan Dirt Merchant cross-country trip. looks like the trip is going well!

safety first

a photo of Nathalie Grether, the backbone of Big Mountain, on the shores of the Georgia Straight in Vancouver last week during a wilderness first aid course. this is what we want to avoid at all costs, having to use a stretcher like this one. needless to say, safety is a high priority at Big Mountain - we keep it high on the list and revise and update our plans and education all the time. mountain biking is inherently dangerous and falling is part of the sport however... ride defensively when you're in a far away place.

Put bike in box, fly somewhere, unpack, ride.

It's that time of the year again. Yea, i know, time, it flies eh? But what can you do? I actually like fall. I know that it's not the best time to ride bikes, but when you do ride it's just good, really good. Fall is mellow; springtime is when you need to get in shape and it hurts more, summertime is when you are in shape and it still hurts so good, and falltime is just time to ride qualitytime. Riding is better when you have a dream trip to look forward to...
The grandpappy of freeride mountain biking, Wade Simmons, will be co-guiding our annual 9-day Costa Rica Pura Vida DH trips again this winter. Dates are Feb 19-27 and Feb 27-Mar 7, 2010. If you haven't heard, Wade is an unreal guy to get to know and an unreal rider. The chance to ride with him for 9 days does not come around very often....think about it, life is short afterall...
We're also offering a shorter version of this trip, the Pura Vida DH Junior which is 7-days from Mar 20-26. Unfortunately Wade won't be on this trip but you'll still be in supremely good hands with our man Paulo Valle.

Jill Kintner

Check out Jill's mtb site. Art and racing bikes. I like.

rolling worldwide this week...

Hey, how's it going? Is the riding season winding down in your neck of the woods? Same here really. Whistler's getting cold and the snow line is creeping down the mountains and it's getting wet on Vancouver's North Shore. The Big Mountain office is pumping though...we've got groups off to Marrakech tomorrow on our Dirt Merchant XC trip, a private group later this week heading to Lima Peru on our Incredible Andes all-mountain trip, another private group off to Johannesburg on November 2 for our Rhythm of Africa Safari...and to Copper Canyon Mexico with Ride Guide TV soon after. Talk about some action! Want in? Give us a shout!

Did you know? These Moroccan goats climb Argan trees with incredible ease to eat the nuts which they then leave in their turds that the locals pick out to make oil that is expensive and supposedly makes your skin glow and make ladies look younger. It's true, Argan oil makes you beautiful.

mountain bike safari in africa

Earlier this year sponsored Adidas riders visited South Africa and Botswana on our africa safari trip. If you dream of experiencing Africa and the safari, this is a great option...you get an intimate, hands-on experience and it's suitable to many levels of riding which is unique. Join us on our Rhythm of Africa trip in 2010...

Hans Ray rollin' with the antelope. Photo Sven Martin.

 

Photo: Sven Martin

signatures

sit back, relax, and be transported to a powder day in Hokkaido Japan where the snow is feather light and the trees spaced just right. this trailer is not your usual ski porn but instead just beautiful shots in a beauty place. winter is coming...

Start Here: Bike Magazine

Grab a copy of the latest Bike Magazine and see Big Mountain owner Chris Winter scoping a new trail in Switzerland in the Start Here column. "This section of trail is after a rediculously long and fun downhill," says Winter, " you feel like you're hanging from the cliff's ledge and then you pop around the last corner and ride past a shrine with a cross and mini-sized Jesus on it and lit candles all around. Did I just see that? It's kind of surreal."

A few of Bike Editor Lou Mazzante's words from Start Here: "As we head into winter and start looking for new gear and dreaming of new trails to ride, keep in mind that the act of riding a mountain bike is so much greater than its component parts. It is inherently fun, implicitly adventurous and often best enjoyed with good company."

Do you like the look of this trail? Want to ride it with Big Mountain in 2010? If you're an all-mountain rider click here, if you're a DH rider, clicker here. Why not join us in the Alps next summer?

chromag

from our good friends at Chromag in Whistler and the talented Jinja on his hard tail railing the Whistler Bike Park. hats off to the fine art of hard tail ripping...

yesterday

We just returned from a killer two-day jaunt to the beauty Chilcotin Range just up past Whistler. You've most probably heard us talk about this region in the past here at Big Mountain. It's pretty special. One of the rare places left where cell phones don't work, roads are gravel, there are more dogs around than humans, being outside means really being outside and where the trails are fine like fine red wine. Dale Douglas from Tyax Air bombed us up from Whistler in his Beaver which was very nice indeed...

PK riding in post-fire apocalyptic otherworldlyness.

 

Dale and Claire pondering the view and taking a break.

Paddy and the Beaver.

seasons

i saw a leaf fall today. it's coming. here's Teton Gravity's latest trailer from their upcoming movie "Session". The cast features Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, Dana Flahr, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Wiley Miller, Dash Longe, Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson and Callum Pettit. The movie was shot in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Alagna, Italy; Poland; Slovakia; Haines, Alaska; Stevens Pass, Wash.; Colorado; Utah; Montana; and Pemberton, B.C. Want to see the film on the big screen? Click here to get the tour schedule.

More Danny MacAskill Riding His Bike

We're you one of the 10 million people who watched Danny MacAskill's ultraviral trails vid recently? You know the one. Here's another piece of Scottish trails action by MacAskill, an ad for a job recruiting firm. Impressive. Makes me want to get a job.

the way it used to be

I like this photo. It was taken three years ago on the top of a lift station on the top of a mountain in Switzerland. This is a private group of friends that joined us on a super Cloudraker all-mountain trip that i will not soon forget. We laughed and we rode a lot. Back then on Cloudraker we'd spend several nights sleeping in alpine huts which made the trip more exciting but also more challenging logistically and more tiring for all. Now we stay in two hotels for the 9 night duration - unpack your bags, saunter down to the bar after a day of riding - it's more of a holiday now then in years past. That's not to say that we don't enjoy the more adventurous itineraries...if you have a group and you'd like us to take you on an epic all-mountain trip where we stay in huts most of the time, just holler. What about a circumnavigation of Mont Blanc?

One of those experiences that sticks

It's been a few weeks now since i've returned from the Yukon, one of Canada's three northern Territories. I'd had several close friends who had been and some who'd even lived up there for a few summers. I'd heard good things, but I didn't go up expecting too much. Now that i'm home though and i've had some time to recover and reflect...it was a trip that i won't soon forget. I hope that you enjoy this video and I hope that you consider flying up to Whitehorse next summer to join Ray on a great trip. I'll be up there again in 2010....

Midnight Sun: Yukon Territory with Big Mountain from big mountain on Vimeo.

Joe rides iceland

On assignment for Bike Magazine, Kona rider and Big Mountain guide on our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip, Joe Schwartz drops in off of Blue Mountain in the remote southern mountains of Iceland...

Icelandic Mountain Biking from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

Photos: Mitchell Scott

downhilling in switzerland slideshow...

great photos from Matthew Trudeau who joined us on an Alpenrock DH trip this summer...

kluane

we decided not to ride the Cottonwood trail yesterday which was probably a smart idea but it was still a tough one. it just means that we'll have to come back. cottonwood is a 12+ hour truly remote adventure in a zone with the highest concentrations of grizzlies in the world...in a gorgeous national park, kluane. our crew is a little punched from the many days of riding so we thought that it'd be best to not attempt this big ride. instead we rode another great and much shorter route and ended up tipping back our first martini around 430pm in a cool cabin with no electricity and in the middle of nowhere. ah...how nice it is to be up here...and the riding rocks!

larger than life

cruising on a sunny afternoon along the Yukon river. very beautiful.


Paul and the horns of a sheep that he took down on a local mountain, and carried out himself. Kona is licking his lips...

big. wide open. the Yukon. day 3 here and i feel like it's been a few weeks. i was told that the riding was good, but i did not expect this. the singletrack is unreal - from man-made mountain bike specific singletrack that makes you howl outloud to high alpine remote action with staggering views of remote northern Canadian landscape. internet is sporadic here so i won't go into too much detail. one thing for sure, if your looking for a great xc trip next summer (august 2010) on barely-ridden trails then keep in touch. more to come soon...

Riding bikes and UFO's in Yukon Territory...

So we're heading up to the Great White North in a few days to explore some new trails in the Yukon Territory and get our Yukon Gold trip finally up and running for 2010. As journalist Dave Smith writes on Twitter, "Whitehorse weather report calls for a 30% chance of rain and 40% chance of grizzly bear mauling." The grizzlies are one thing, but how about the UFOs? Turns out that we'll be riding Montana Mountain which just happens to be where a solid UFO sighting occurred from a geologist in 1988. Here is a spine tingling excerpt from his diary on that fateful night...get the full scoop on the UFO BC website.. Check back here for updates on this adventure...

EXCERPT FROM DIARY OF DES CLARK:

Tuesday 15 March, 1988

"Cabin very hot from cooking stew and wood stove – went for walk @ 2430 hrs. Had experience of a lifetime! Coming back and almost to cabin, aircraft came over south ridge very slowly lost altitude and hovered around sta’s 26-1 à 26-2. Craft was so called UFO – blueish aura on periphery of inverted bowl – very low pulsing hum; no wind so everything quiet except for barely discernable humming noise. Cannot describe blue/grey light – didn’t seem to have any specific source – just all over edge and upper overt. Craft was below the ridge to the west of cabin so distance easy to determine due to our survey grid lines – large diameter – noticed blueish light or glow on my hands and clothing – dog and I are being observed I’m sure of it as the craft sideslipped to within 150-200 meters horizontal and possibly 30 meters above us – damn! Could almost touch the bloody thing – when craft slipped in, dog started barking and ran behind the wood pile at the cabin – first impulse was run to cabin and get shotgun – stupid – just stayed there – not frightened somehow – cannot determine if any control surfaces – seemed omni-directional – no port, starboard, nose or tail – movements were smooth and I sense very deliberate. Christ! I’ve been at this cabin 3 weeks and even as I write I know some will think I’ve gone crackers. I’m bloody sure we (dog and I) were being observed but so overwhelmed did not notice ports, windows or such. Seemed like forever that craft in the valley. The machine left in a tight 180 degree turn to the NE quadrant; through east and up through the south – gained altitude with tremendous acceleration although no propulsion noise except humming and no sound of air displacement -- the latter I found strange as it defies physical law! Will not call this UFO because it isn’t – it’s a bloody flying machine – true and simple. Although not frightened when all was happening; went into cabin and it took me 4 matches to light the propane stove – noticed that dog wasn’t around – went back outside to call him – no dog – back into cabin – had to hold my cup of tea with both hands to keep from slopping it all over. The time is 0222 hrs of the 16th March and it has taken me and hour and a half to stop shaking enough to put this to paper – dog isn’t outside – he just crawled out from beneath the bunk – he has been hiding under the bed all this time! As I write this the impact of the experience is coming home – I know I’ll never be the same again and why wasn’t there someone else here to witness it also – if only dogs could talk!"

Peru in Pedal Magazine

Check out the June issue of Canada's Pedal Magazine for a great article on our Peru all-mountain trip, Unforgettable Andes, from journalist Jason Sumner. This trip is absolutely unreal. Trust us. We'll have our 2010 dates posted in the coming weeks.


Big Mountain guide and mountain biker extraordinaire...Andreas Hestler!

crankworx slopestyle finals slow-mo footie

Watch this video and you'll really appreciate what the riders were pulling off in the slopestyle finals....very very impressive.

2009 Crankworx Slopestyle Finals - More Mountain Bike Videos

zermatt last week from the eyes of joe schwartz...

Swiss Bliss! from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

two girls and a fixie...

riding with Joe in the Alps

Our annual Swiss Alpenrock DH trips are happening as we speak. Want to ride with Joe next year in Switzerland? Keep your eyes peeled here...we're working on 2010 dates and details now and will have them posted very soon. Enjoy the rest of summer!!
Read Joe's Kona Cog blog here.
Thanks to Scott Hagarty for these fine photos.


Schwartzy hitting a little wall ride at the Crans-Montana bike park.


The group of Alpenrock I on top of Gornergrat, high above Zermatt. Looks like a great day!

more crankworx...sat ride!

Ahhhhhhhh....Khyber. So we were graciously given some free day passes to the Whistler Bike Park which we put to very good use. After several coffees and a crack-of-noon meeting in the village we boarded the gondola for the 20 min cruise up Whistler Mountain. A few scenic viewings and token pointing to distant vista, we boarded our steeds for the 30 min climb to the peak and down to the Khyber into Babylon and into Tunnel Vision, a head-shakingly sweet and technical singletrack descent that ends near Creekside. Highlights...taking turns following Gray Rodier and Paddy Kaye on Khyber - railing tech root sections that can be taken at speed with uphill slopes that can be coasted up...Babylon and it's video game of overgrown saplings a la two wheel drift and finally Tunnel Vision which has been worked on and has some killer wood ramps and new berms. What a ride! Rolled home for a quick shower and a few beers and straight to the Crankworx Slopestyle event...


PK negotiating some roots and rocks and trees...


Gray with his wheels in the air, again.

crankworx..friday ride

my Crankworx Whistler week-end was all about riding epic all-mountain singletrack with Pemberton + Whistler + Squamish friends...what a blast! On Friday our good friends at Chromag Bikes hosted a fantastic ride-bbq-beers event. We left the Chromag headquarters in Function Junction and headed up Flank trail on the westside of the valley and rode Cheap Thrills and a quiver of other trails that i can't remember and 4 hours or so later we were enjoying cold beers and smokies. Thanks to Ian Ritz and Kevin Phelps and Chromag for the great times. That night turned into a shaker...drinks are the Blake Jorgenson Gallery and then more drinks and carousing at the Fireside and the 10th anniversary of New World Disorder. Congrats on the milestone and thanks for the great movies.


Ryan Sullivan, Paddy Kaye, Ian Ritz and Paulo Valle...and 19 other rippers about to start off.


Jonny I from Pemby Bike Co and his dog.

performance

Peru with journalist Jason Sumner

Why don't you come to Peru with us in 2010? It's quite possibly the best mountain bike destination on the planet!! Read journalist Jason Sumner's words here and start planning...

Brandon Semenuk's Crankworks Colorado practice runs...

Brandon Semenuk POV Camera Crankworx Colorado... - More Mountain Bike Videos

PK's summer

Our friend Paddy Kaye's helmet cam footage...Park City Utah, Nelson BC, Gray Rodier on Windy Pass near Whistler and some from our Swiss Cloudraker trip from a few weeks ago. Looks like a great summer...

09 rides from paddy kaye on Vimeo.

Paulo, Wade and El Diablo...

Satindar, Paulo and Wade after a tough climb on the Shore's Cypress Mountain earlier today. Want to ride with Paulo and Wade in Costa Rica this February? I do! Check out the roster of Costa Rica DH trips here...

top of the Brazillian...

hard to tell that our group was stoked...they were! Maybe a little blown from the climb. this is at the top of the now famous Brazilian trail in Switzerland's Valais region. Thanks for a great trip everyone!!



Want to view some more images from our recent Swiss Clouraker all-mountain trip? More here.

back from the alps

just back from a great trip in Switzerland and our Cloudraker trips. Unreal times...thanks to the crew for joining us on this epic adventure.
A slideshow from our man Jeremy. Click here.
PK's version here.
Zack and Robbie's take...here.


PK and the Colonel atop the Rothorn in Zermatt on our last day. the skies parted and gave us a full view of the horn...

tour de france in verbier

Wow, what an experience. We left the hotel early, just after 830am, and rolled down to Le Chable and the gondola up to Verbier. From there we rode a series of trails and lifts all over the Verbier network of lifts - 12,500 feet of descending over the day. The highlight was arriving 2 switchbacks from the finish of the Verbier stage of the Tour. We had an hour before the riders came through...time for a beer or two...the spectacle of sponsors and support cars was insane and then the helicopter arrived below us on the mountain and we knew that the riders were coming...Contador had pulled away and was in the lead, followed by a very worked Lance. Killer day of mountain biking with a big ol cherry on top.


Colorful spectators...


Lance, visibly blown and realizing that Contador is a serious threat.

zee alpen...

Writing this while sitting in our little hotel in the hamlet of Lourtier...tucked up a tight valley with big peaks all around. We've just started our Cloudraker trip with the Tour coming through the valley in a few days. The anticipation is growing!! Can't believe that we'll be watching the Tour in a few days from our mountain bikes! So pumped.


PK and Daughrty starting a 7 hour descent...


This lift got us high. Really high.

Ripping with Bush

Big Mountain guide Tyler Moore speaks, "Rode with Bush again yesterday. Pretty cool. They've been workin on the trails up there a whole lot and have some sweet stuff. I also got to ride around a bit on Mountain Bike One, a Trek Fuel EX all carbon with badass everything. They've got some cool undulations on an off camber hill I was able to double up for a few little trail airs. Other than that its mostly XC twisty turney stuff but fun."

Off to Europe this morning

Ahhh...it's always the same each year when the departure for Europe looms. "Oh, no problem, i've got everything dialed," I think. Next thing I know i'm putting in 15 hr days staring at my computer for a week straight. Trips have been planned months ago, it's that list of stuff that needs to get done. Anyway, bags are packed, bike is in his box, everyone's happy. Watching the Tour this morning is especially sweet knowing that i'll be hanging with our Swiss Cloudraker crew on the sidelines watching Lance go by in the next few weeks. How sweet is that?
Hope your summer's going well and riding's been great were you are!

Mountain bikers represent at the Tour de France

Victoria BC based former mountain biker Ryder Hesjedal is racing in the Tour this year on the Garmin-Slipstream team. Read about him on VeloNews. Of course Australia's Cadel Evans is a former mountain biker and a true contender this year!

For great online coverage, watch our friend Jason Sumner (who joined us in Peru in April on our Unforgettable Andes trip) on Velonews.tv.

Bostich+Fussible "Tijuana Sound Machine"

Still Blissed out...Part Deux

OK, OK, that's enough. Or is it? Check out part two of Blake photo essay and Dave's words about our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip. Convinced? It rocks. Period. Now let's go, we've still got a few spots...

Bombing Bolivia vid with Schwartzy

Hmmm...should we launch a new DH trip in Bolivia? Looks pretty unreal! Want to go? Email us and we'll make it happen...

Blissed out in Switzerland with Big Mountain

Wow, a super photo essay on our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip with Wade and Joe. Check it out here.

Wanna come? We have a few spots left for this summer...

Mini doc on Mike Hopkins at Red Bull Rampage last fall

Mike Hopkins Red Bull Rampage 2008 from New Wave Cinema on Vimeo.

Joe in Bolivia

Big Mountain guide Joe Schwartz is in Bolivia going downhill, fast. "We are back in La Paz, for a night of connection with the outside world before we continue on with our exploration of this amazing country. The last three days have been spent in the mountains west of the city, in a zone I will not soon forget." Read more...

Want to ride with Joe yourself? Join him in Switzerland this summer on either of our two amazing Alpenrock DH trips - August 14 to 22 or August 22 to 30, 2009.